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After 107 years in Milwaukee, Harley could leave

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Educating the Ignorant
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Thank the Unions if it happens... they've been responsible for outsourcing a whole lotta jobs.

AP
MILWAUKEE – It's the roar that made Milwaukee famous — the distinctive throaty rumble of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle. But that much-loved racket could be rumbling away to another state if the company cannot bring down its labor costs

"You can't describe it. They've got so much history here. They've just become the blood of the community," said Tom Steepy, a lifelong rider and the director of the suburban Milwaukee chapter of the Harley Owners Group, or HOG. "If they moved their manufacturing, it would just create a void you can't fill."

Negotiations with the unions began in late July. The president of Harley's largest union did not return multiple messages seeking comment.

Prasad, the UW-Milwaukee professor, doesn't see Harley's threat to move simply as a negotiating tactic. A company with a 107-year history is more concerned with the next 100 years than with making idle threats to extract short-term advantages, he said.

After 107 years in Milwaukee, Harley could leave - Yahoo! News
You can describe it Tom Steepy... it's called survival, and history is history. Milwaukee can lament losing major businesses because of greedy politicians and unions... and you have only yourself to blame, as you folks voted and encouraged them. The Glorious Unions just might make more history ... how to kill the Goose laying the Golden Eggs... and new History will be written; Texas would be a nice home for Harley Davidson to begin Chapter 2.

The Company and the unions representing its Wisconsin production employees are scheduled to begin negotiations this week on new labor agreements that would take effect upon the expiration of the current contracts in April 2012. Through the negotiation of new agreements, the Company seeks to close large cost gaps in its Milwaukee-area and Tomahawk production operations and improve flexibility to meet seasonal and other customer-driven production needs. If Harley-Davidson is unable to achieve those objectives through agreement with the unions by mid-September 2010, the Company has said it will move Wisconsin production operations to another U.S. location.
News | Harley-Davidson USA
 
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Perhaps they should move it to Korea, since many of the parts on that motorcycle come from there.
 
They should move it down to San Antonio :)

And Rev. I bet if you could get a part manufacturer in the US that wasn't overpriced they'd be bought from here. Sadly that's easier said then done.
 
They should move it down to San Antonio :)

And Rev. I bet if you could get a part manufacturer in the US that wasn't overpriced they'd be bought from here. Sadly that's easier said then done.

I'd put my money on Mexico for parts.
 
the marketplace has substantially changed
years ago, people were sleeping in HD dealers' parking lots to place a deposit on the months later delivery of of an HD bike
now, they are very difficult to move, new or used
HD did not evolve with its market
shame on the unions for that you say
as if the unions are responsible for the company's present circumstance
 
the marketplace has substantially changed
years ago, people were sleeping in HD dealers' parking lots to place a deposit on the months later delivery of of an HD bike
now, they are very difficult to move, new or used
HD did not evolve with its market
shame on the unions for that you say
as if the unions are responsible for the company's present circumstance

Yes, HD has made mistakes, but the Unions have their share of the blame too, and cutting costs requires something the Unions won't do...
 
the marketplace has substantially changed
years ago, people were sleeping in HD dealers' parking lots to place a deposit on the months later delivery of of an HD bike
now, they are very difficult to move, new or used
HD did not evolve with its market
shame on the unions for that you say
as if the unions are responsible for the company's present circumstance

Largely speaking they are responsible, in much the same way they were also responsible for the almost demise of both Chrysler and GM, before they both became Government Motors, and in reality even attaching that name is not totally accurate, with the donations to the Democrats recently, so perhaps it would be best to call them Obama motors.
 
Unions want theirs regardless of market changes or operational challenges.

Businesses don't have such a luxury of ignoring those realities.

Union workers are getting what they've had coming for a long time. 50 percent unemployment in Michigan is just around the corner.
 
Unions want theirs regardless of market changes or operational challenges.

Businesses don't have such a luxury of ignoring those realities.

Union workers are getting what they've had coming for a long time. 50 percent unemployment in Michigan is just around the corner.

every contract between labor and management is one which has been negotiated by and signed off on by management?
why would management agree to terms which are detrimental to the viability of the company ... a reasonable person might ask ...
to answer that rhetorical question, it would be because management was incompetent and/or because management was willing to cave in order to realize short term benefits while recognizing they probably would not be there long term to face the down side of their contracted agreement
a non-rhetorical question: why is that the union's fault?
 
Thank the Unions if it happens... they've been responsible for outsourcing a whole lotta jobs.

AP
You can describe it Tom Steepy... it's called survival, and history is history. Milwaukee can lament losing major businesses because of greedy politicians and unions... and you have only yourself to blame, as you folks voted and encouraged them. The Glorious Unions just might make more history ... how to kill the Goose laying the Golden Eggs... and new History will be written; Texas would be a nice home for Harley Davidson to begin Chapter 2.

New slogan:

Harley-Davidson, as American as Bangalore. :mrgreen:
 
Wait wait wait, how are UNIONS outsourcing jobs?
 
Thank the Unions if it happens... they've been responsible for outsourcing a whole lotta jobs.

AP
You can describe it Tom Steepy... it's called survival, and history is history. Milwaukee can lament losing major businesses because of greedy politicians and unions... and you have only yourself to blame, as you folks voted and encouraged them. The Glorious Unions just might make more history ... how to kill the Goose laying the Golden Eggs... and new History will be written; Texas would be a nice home for Harley Davidson to begin Chapter 2.

Bleh, Harley's.

Overpriced, midlife crisis vehicles.
 
[sarcasm] They wouldn't be having this problem if they'd just hire some illegal aliens. [/sarcasm]
 
Underpowered, dated technology, poor handling, ass jewelry.

It was kind of a military retirement way of life...grow your hair out, grow a beard, put on 20 pounds, buy a Harley. I went for the Suzuki Intruder 1500 instead (nice compliment to the 650 I already had). Most guys I know that bought Harleys still have them. In their garage. They take em out every once in a while. Eventually they will sell their shiny bikes with the leather braids and cool gadgets and doodads. The bike will have less than 2 miles on em...so...good deal!

I dont have anything AGAINST Harleys (OK...maybe a little against the Harley owners)...just nothing really FOR em. But it looks like the plant is learning the same lesson every other indiustrial business has to learn. Adapt and change in a realistic manner (including labor, management overhead costs, etc) or die. Or move.

Regarding Harley owners...I LOVE the rugged "individualist"...the anti-societal outcast attitude...the rebel...the indendent free thinking, free wheeling individuals...all of them...dressed alike in their Harley Davidson boots, scarves, hats, belt buckles, undies, t shirts, wallets, and chains. They dont conform to no damn society pressures! :roll:
 
every contract between labor and management is one which has been negotiated by and signed off on by management?
why would management agree to terms which are detrimental to the viability of the company ... a reasonable person might ask ...
to answer that rhetorical question, it would be because management was incompetent and/or because management was willing to cave in order to realize short term benefits while recognizing they probably would not be there long term to face the down side of their contracted agreement
a non-rhetorical question: why is that the union's fault?

I don't know. I live in a non-union state, and I negotiate my own employment contractual arrangements.

I wouldn't know anything about sucking the teet of a union.
 
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It was kind of a military retirement way of life...grow your hair out, grow a beard, put on 20 pounds, buy a Harley. I went for the Suzuki Intruder 1500 instead (nice compliment to the 650 I already had). Most guys I know that bought Harleys still have them. In their garage. They take em out every once in a while. Eventually they will sell their shiny bikes with the leather braids and cool gadgets and doodads. The bike will have less than 2 miles on em...so...good deal!

I dont have anything AGAINST Harleys (OK...maybe a little against the Harley owners)...just nothing really FOR em. But it looks like the plant is learning the same lesson every other indiustrial business has to learn. Adapt and change in a realistic manner (including labor, management overhead costs, etc) or die. Or move.

Regarding Harley owners...I LOVE the rugged "individualist"...the anti-societal outcast attitude...the rebel...the indendent free thinking, free wheeling individuals...all of them...dressed alike in their Harley Davidson boots, scarves, hats, belt buckles, undies, t shirts, wallets, and chains. They dont conform to no damn society pressures! :roll:



Screw it lets ride! (tm) :lamo
 
Maybe people will just buy Yamaha now as they are the superior bikes.
 
Those are seriously nice bikes too. But a bit expensive to upkeep. Some of us are just lowly scientists and don't have much money.



I have an SV650, the funnest bike I ever owned....


The 1200 is onpar with any of the liter jap bikes in terms of maintenence and cost.
 
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